2026 -- H 7577

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LC004895

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

     Introduced By: Representatives Voas, Potter, Slater, Casey, Noret, Read, McEntee,
McGaw, and J. Brien

     Date Introduced: February 06, 2026

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-3-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration of

Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-3-5. Grounds for refusal of registration.

     The division of motor vehicles shall refuse registration or any transfer of registration upon

any of the following grounds:

     (1) That the application contains any false or fraudulent statement, or that the applicant has

failed to furnish required information, or reasonable additional information requested by the

division of motor vehicles, or that the applicant is not entitled to the issuance of registration of the

vehicle under chapters 3 — 9 of this title;

     (2) That the vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated upon the highways;

     (3) That the division of motor vehicles has reasonable ground to believe that the vehicle is

a stolen or embezzled vehicle, or that the granting of registration would constitute a fraud against

the rightful owner;

     (4) That the registration of the vehicle stands suspended or revoked for any reason as

provided in the motor vehicle laws of this state;

     (5) That the vehicle has been reported by any city or town city, town, state and/or agency

of a municipality or state to the division of motor vehicles as having unpaid fines in the aggregate

amount of two hundred dollars ($200) or more, including any and all interest, penalties, or other

monetary amount that may be imposed for failure to pay the fines by a specified date; provided, the

registration shall be issued upon presentation of proof of payment of the outstanding fines,

including any and all interest, penalties, or other monetary amount owed to the cities or towns

reporting the unpaid fines. When the division of motor vehicles denies a registration to any person

pursuant to this subsection, the city, or town or state agency requesting the denial of registration

shall add a five-dollar ($5.00) fee to the aggregate value of the sum of the fines and, upon payment,

shall transmit the fee to the division of motor vehicles. The provisions of this subsection shall not

apply to any vehicle owned by a rental company, as defined in § 31-34.1-1;

     (6) That the vehicle does not comply with regulations promulgated pursuant to § 23-23-

5(18);

     (7) That the vehicle does not comply with the provisions of chapter 47.1 of this title and

any rules and regulations promulgated under that chapter;

     (8) That a commercial motor vehicle is being operated by a commercial motor carrier that

has been prohibited from operating in interstate commerce by a federal agency with authority to do

so under federal law;

     (9) That the registered owner of a vehicle failed to pay the required toll amounts,

administrative fees, and fines as prescribed in § 24-12-37; or

     (10) That the vehicle is a “Kei car” or “Kei truck”. Provided, however, that the registrant

of any “Kei car” or “Kei truck” which was validly registered prior to June 1, 2024, shall not be

denied renewal of that registration based solely on the vehicle type; and further, provided that, any

such registrations shall not be permitted to be transferred. Every person lawfully operating a “Kei

car” or “Kei truck” shall have the right to use the public highways in the state including any state

highway, through highway, limited-access highway or public highway or roadway with a posted

speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour (35 m.p.h.) or less. Nothing in this subsection, however,

shall be construed to prohibit a “Kei car” or “Kei truck” from crossing a public highway at an

intersection where the public highway to be crossed has a posted speed limit between thirty-five

miles per hour (35 m.p.h.) and forty-five miles per hour (45 m.p.h.); provided the public highway

the “Kei car” or “Kei truck” is traveling on and the public highway the “Kei car” or “Kei truck” is

crossing the intersection toward both have a speed limit no higher than thirty-five miles per hour

(35 m.p.h.) and the intersection is controlled by traffic signals or stop signs.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

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     This act would allow any city, town, state and/or agency of a municipality or the state to

report unpaid fines of two hundred dollars ($200) or more to the division of motor vehicles as

grounds for refusal of registration.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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